Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, will donate to a major ice-skating event in Alta, Norway on the 21st of February. The event brings together Norwegian and Dutch speed skating legends and is one of several initiatives in aimed at benefiting citizens in the Nordics

During the skating tournament six generations of Speed Skaters from Norway and The Netherlands will skate with each other to raise awareness for Speed Skating in the north of Norway. Skaters possessing between them more than two dozen Olympic Medals, World Championship titles and many more National titles will meet at the ice rink of Alta to raise budget and awareness for this sport and to create an infrastructure for the long term for people in and around Alta. Famous skaters attending include Ard Schenk, Bart Veldkamp, Ådne Søndrål, Magne Thomassen and Jarle Pedersen.

Philips will illuminate the ice rink with 16 OptiVision 1000W conventional luminaires, replacing the current 20x 2000W luminaires. The new lighting will allow energy and cost savings while providing the right level of illumination required for recreational sport. The lighting system will also help the people of Alta to exercise during the long dark winters in order to help beat winter blues.

Serving community with northern lights

During midwinter the different areas of Norway only get little to none hours of daylight a day. Alta is in the North of Norway and has only six hours of daylight at this time of year.

People living in the far north suffer from a higher incidence of ‘winter blues.’ Mood problems and lack of energy typically start in autumn and may last well into the spring.  Lighting, whether natural or artificial, affects all life on our planet. In humans, it plays a crucial role in regulating our circadian rhythm, the natural biorhythms of our body clock, and on the production of hormones in the body. It is proven that having enough light during the day, particularly during the winter, has a beneficial effect on mood and general quality of life.

In Uppsala, Sweden, Philips has installed an LED outdoor lighting management system in one of Uppsala’s most popular green spaces – Tegnerparken, also known as Giraffe Park, at the heart of the community. Using dynamic Philips CityTouch LED lighting, municipal engineers can remotely manage precise levels of lighting at the park according to the hour and how many people are there.

In addition, because the LED luminaires are more reliable and environmentally-friendly, local government can make as much as 80 percent energy savings and 50 percent on maintenance.

In Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, there is no daylight for 11 weeks of the year. Without any natural morning light, many citizens reported ‘sleep inertia’ and general difficulty waking in the morning. In 2010, as part of an experiment, Philips equipped townsfolk with its LED Wake-up light that mimics a sunrise to help people to wake-up naturally. The experiment was huge success with many citizens reporting a remarkable transformation.

Philips, the global leader in lighting, collaborates with governments, community leaders, businesses and key stakeholders to deliver innovations that are both liberating for citizens and positively impact their environment and mental health.